1. Field of the Invention
A storage container for storing slices of pizza therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The container art is crowded with numerous types of containers adapted to store various types of food substances therein for keeping the food fresh for a prolonged period of time. Usually, these containers are stored within a refrigerator wherein the cold environment in combination with the sealed container acts to further prolong the freshness of the food to be eaten by the user at a later time. Commonly, it is desirous by many people to save food which is left over from a meal by placing in these containers to be stored in the refrigerator.
Most of the storage containers for storing leftover food comprise a square or rectangular configuration having a base portion which usually has a substantially deep storage compartment therein and a lid which is adapted to be fitted in covering relation to an open top of the base portion. Accordingly, leftover food such as vegetables, meat, fish and the like can be placed within the container and with the lid placed thereon, the containers are stored in the refrigerator thereby saving the food for later consumption over the next several days.
There are some types of food which, because of the nature of their dimensions and physical characteristics, are not suitable for placement in the standard storage containers as commonly known in the prior art. One such food type is pizza which normally consists of individual slices making up a whole pie. Because pizza is usually purchased in units as a whole pie consisting of usually eight to twelve slices, it is not uncommon that at least one, and sometimes several slices of the pizza are left over after a meal. In an attempt to save these individuals slices so that they can be eaten the next day, most people wrap the slices in aluminum foil or cellophane wrap and place them in the refrigerator. In doing so, the foil or cellophane tends to adhere to the cheese and other toppings on the slice of pizza so that when the wrapping is later removed, the cheese and toppings are peeled off from the rest of the pizza slice. Additionally, when food such as pizza is wrapped in aluminum foil, the contents within the wrapped package are not readily apparent to a person searching through the refrigerator the next day and often, these wrapped aluminum packages are ignored to the point where the food therein spoils and becomes inedible.
It is undesirable to place slices of pizza in the commonly known square and rectangular containers known in the prior art for several reasons. First, the shape of the pizza slice often does not correspond with the shape of the container and therefore, it is necessary to bend or deform the slice so as to fit it within the storage compartment of the container. Additionally, it is not desirous to stack slices on top of one another because of the problem of a cheese and other topping sticking to the bottom of the stacked slice when removing them from the container. Another problem associated with the containers of the prior art is that the storage compartments are often substantially deep and therefore, a single slice stored therein is still exposed to a substantial amount of air even with the lid placed in sealed connection on the container opening.
Accordingly, there is a need in the present container art for a pizza container adapted for the storage of slices of pizza within a storage compartment wherein the containers is specifically structured and configured so as to conform with the shape of the slice of pizza thereby facilitating easy placement and removal of the pizza slice in and out of the container. Additionally, there is need in the present container art for a pizza container adapted to receive several slices of pizza individually wherein the slices can be stored within the storage compartment of the container without the need for stacking them upon one another.